Does the Ella Shower Door Have a Bottom Track or Is It Trackless?

It depends on which door you are looking at. Ella's framed sliding shower doors are true framed doors with a track along the bottom, not barn-door style hangers. The Primo 8mm frameless sliding door is the exception: it has no bottom rail at all, only a low water retainer gasket along the bottom edge that expands about 3/8 of an inch to keep water in the shower.

Framed Sliding Doors: Track on the Bottom

The framed sliding doors Ella offers for its shower stalls have a full frame, including a bottom track that the panels ride in. This is a conventional framed slider, and it is not a barn-door style door where the glass hangs from an exposed top bar with nothing below. The bottom track guides the lower edge of the sliding panels so they stay aligned, and it forms a lip at the sill that helps hold shower water inside the enclosure. If you are comparing options, the article on glass door and sliding screen options lists which sliding doors and screens Ella offers.

Primo 8mm Frameless Door: No Bottom Rail

The Primo 8mm door does not have a bottom rail or track. What sits along the bottom of the glass is a flexible gasket that acts as a water retainer. That gasket expands about 3/8 of an inch, which is enough to redirect water running down the glass back toward the drain without adding a raised metal rail to step over. If someone asks for the height of the bottom rail on a Primo door, the answer is that there is no rail, and the only element at floor level is that 3/8 inch gasket.

Why the Difference Matters

1. Step-over and cleaning. A framed door's bottom track is a raised channel, so it collects water and soap film and benefits from regular wiping. The Primo's gasket is a low, soft strip with no channel to clean out.
2. Water control. The framed track gives a firm barrier at the sill. The Primo relies on its gasket, so a gasket that has shifted or has a gap can let water spray out. Why does my shower screen gasket have a gap and spray water covers that fix.
3. Installation. Framed doors are installed as a complete frame with the bottom track in place. See installing framed sliding shower doors and the Tidy two-panel bath screen for the sequence.
4. Replacement parts. Tracks, rollers and knobs for framed doors are separate parts. Missing or broken shower door hardware explains how to identify and request them.

Checking Which Door You Have

Look at the bottom edge of the glass. If the panels sit inside a metal channel that runs the width of the opening, you have a framed sliding door with a bottom track. If the glass has no metal along the bottom and only a flexible strip touches the sill, you have the Primo frameless door. Your order paperwork will also name the door. If a shower stall arrived without a door and you are deciding what to add, does the Ella shower stall come with a door, and what size door fits the opening is the place to start.

Related Videos

Common Questions

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.